Crewe residents at the public meeting held by local councillors to discuss Bentley Motors' masterplan

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Angry Crewe residents vowed to fight any plan by Bentley to close Pyms Lane and Sunnybank Road saying employees at the luxury car manufacturing plant already cause a 'parking nightmare'.

More than 100 residents packed into the Georges Community Centre on Monday night to vent their anger at plans to close the two roads as part of the Bentley masterplan for expansion.

It was recognised Bentley was a major employer which benefited the town but residents at the meeting thought the proposal had not been properly thought through - with those who had attended Bentley’s consultations last month saying they were unable to get answers to their questions, particularly about plans for a proposed new link road.

Former councillor Howard Curran, who lives on Sunnybank Road, said: “Bentley say they want to shut two roads, namely Sunnybank Road and Pyms Lane. That’s impossible because they can’t access their site...They want to make up their mind, do they want to close the roads or do they want to privatise them, make it so just their traffic uses them and nobody elses?”

One Marshfield Estate resident said there are four major roads into Crewe, of which Pyms Lane is one, so to close that would obstruct one of the main entries into the town.

“You close the top of Sunnybank Road, make it Bentley only, and that place will be a standstill,” he said.

Others pointed out the plan was ill-thought through as, if Pyms Lane was closed there was no access to the household waste and recycling centre.

Pyms Lane Household and Recycling Plant at Crewe

A Primrose Hill resident said: “Pyms Lane is the most important thing to them but they can’t close Pyms Lane as long as the waste recycling plant is there.

"Five times in their 36 page masterplan they mention the recycling plant and they mention that they’ve got ‘an ambition’ to move it elsewhere. Until they relocate that tip they can’t close Pyms Lane because there’s no public access to the tip. They must know where they plan to recycle that tip, they must know when but there is no mention of it.”

There was shouts of ‘no’ when he added: “My biggest concern is the bridge on Sunnybank. Their plan is to close that to us but leave it open to Bentley employees.”

The man was one of numerous residents who complained about Bentley workers using Merrills Avenue, Primrose Hill and Bilton Way to avoid the gridlock they created themselves on Sunnybank Road.

He said Bentley workers ‘shoot’along the roads and ‘it’s only a matter of time before somebody is hurt or even worse. The situation is ridiculous’.

Cllr Damian Bailey, who was chairing the meeting called by three of Crewe’s Cheshire East and two town councillors, said even local councillors haven’t been properly informed about the future of the tip.

“You’re absolutely right, Bentley want the tip gone at all costs but Cheshire East seem to be digging their heels a bit about the tip,” he said.

Cllr Bailey also told residents he was ‘horrified’ when he spoke to Bentley about its plans.

“I spoke to Bentley about 10 days ago, I said surely you are not contemplating closing Pyms Lane and Sunnybank Road before any new road is built, and they said they want it closed within the next 12 months,” he told the meeting.

He urged everyone who attended the meeting, and everyone who will be affected by these plans, to take part in the public consultation which ends at 5pm on Tuesday February 14.

No planning applications have been submitted - the proposal is at the consultation stage.

You can also write c/o Bentley Masterplan, Cheshire East Council, Westfields, Middlewich Road, Sandbach, CW11 1HZ or complete a paper survey which is available from libraries and council offices and return it to the address above.

Proposals will hurt the 'ordinary people' residents claim

The ordinary people in Crewe are the ones who will have to pay the price for Bentley’s expansion.

That was the overriding message that came out of Monday night’s public meeting called by five of Crewe’s Labour councillors so they could gauge the concerns of local residents and express them in the formal consultation.

One pensioner told how the luxury car-maker’s plans would not only inconvenience her but cost her money she could not afford.

Others told people told how the company’s plans would affect their regular trips to the hospital because the bus would have to be re-routed.

And there were real concerns about the delays in getting ambulances to and from Leighton Hospital if Pyms Lane was closed.

One pensioner, who lives on Sunnybank Road, said: “Bentley are affecting the ordinary people such a lot, how are they going to compensate anybody that’s affected? There is a cost to what they’re doing to all of us ordinary people.”

The woman explained closing Sunnybank Road would mean an extra three mile round trip to see her family which, while not a lot, over the year it would push her over the low mileage benefit she claimed for her insurance and bump up her premium.

The woman, who was clearly upset said she loved her home and her neighbours and said ‘they shouldn’t be ridden roughshod over’.

One man who suffers ill health said he catches the 78 bus to and from the hospital.

“If Sunnybank Road closes that facility is gone,” he said, adding: “I don’t want to see Sunnybank Road closed but if they close it, damn well close it because they [Bentley workers] pour out along Merrils Avenue, Primrose Hill, Bilton Way and believe you me Silverstone has got nothing on them. It’s an accident waiting to happen and someone is going to get killed.”

A woman who lives on Marshfield Avenue said: “The 78 bus, they’re saying they’re going to re-route it. I know where they’ll re-route it - down Minshull New Road. Now I live on Marshfield Avenue, re-routing it down Minshull New Road is not going to be any use to me whatsoever. I rely on that bus for hospital and physiotherapy.”

Still more people said their lives were already made a misery by Bentley workers blocking their drives and racing down side roads they used as rat-runs and blocking Sunnybank Road.

When Cllr Bailey took a vote on how many of the 100 plus people would object to Pyms Lane and Sunnybank Road closing, it was unanimous.

Residents were also adamant that if Pyms Lane and Sunnybank Road were closed it should be to everyone.

They were incensed at any suggestion that Bentley might allow its workers to use the roads if they were closed to the public.

Cllr Bailey pointed out this would also affect other people using West Street to get in and out of Crewe, as all traffic which currently uses Pyms Lane to access Badger Avenue would no longer be able to do so if Bentley closed the road.

Many people thought it was already a done deal - although others spurred them on to continue to oppose the plans.

Residents offer an alternative solution

Bentley could have its campus and keep residents happy by considering an obvious alternative to closing the two roads, a Marshfield Estate resident said.

The man told Monday night’s public meeting in Crewe that Bentley didn’t need four entrances and there was a solution which would not only make closing the roads unnecessary but also alleviate the problems residents were already experiencing because of Bentley workers ‘shooting’ through roads on residential estates.

“We’ve got Marshfield Bank Industrial Estate with a nice big road leading straight down to a main roundabout which takes it to Nantwich, towards the M6 to Middlewich or into Crewe,” said the man.

“Why don’t they make that the main entrance for Bentley? It would take all of the traffic out of the Marshfield Estate area, that would be the main way in and out of Bentley.

“All it needs is a small bridge which would cause a lot less aggro, a lot less traffic, they’re not going to bother anybody.”

This was met with approval by the meeting with shouts of ‘good idea’ coming from around the room.

Earlier in the meeting others had suggested Bentley put a bridge across the road for its workers, rather than close roads.

Former councillor Roy Cartlidge had people agreeing with him when he said: “To me the A530 (Middlewich Road) needs dualling because there’s that much traffic on there. Never mind Bentley in peak times, even in the day it’s a busy road and it needs to be upgraded so we should have improved roads, but I don’t know if we’ll even get that.”

Councillors want driving crackdown

Crewe councillors are to ask Cheshire Police to crackdown on speeding drivers and motorists using mobile phones at the time Bentley staff finish work.

There were numerous complaints from people at Monday night’s public meeting about the illegal practices of motorists as they drive through the Marshfield Estate and Sunnybank Road areas.

Several residents said they had rung the police and emailed them, only to be told they haven’t got the resources.

One woman told the meeting: “I said, will you take just 10 minutes of your resources and sit in this estate here and you would catch I don’t know how many going past using mobile phones, two had no seatbelts on, and they’re speeding. Something needs to be done.”

Others talked about damage to wing mirrors and the suchlike.

Cllr Jill Rhodes told everyone to ring the police every time an offence is committed and to ask for a crime reference number.

There were also calls for Bentley to enforce some sort of parking solution.

Cll Damian Bailey (Lab)

Cllr Damian Bailey said: “The issue is, Bentley provide more than adequate parking for their employees but their employees decide to ignore it.”

Residents said the company should take the registration numbers of all their employees and hold them to account if they cause chaos by parking on streets and at the cemetery when the company provides its own car park.

One resident suggested Bentley should fine its workers and, if they continue, dismiss them.

Last few days of consultation to make your views known

Residents have until Tuesday (February 14) to have their say on a masterplan which outlines how the long-term future of the Bentley factory in Crewe could look.

The plan, which has been developed by Bentley Motors in consultation with Cheshire East Council, aims to create a campus-style site which could potentially expand.

It would require the closure of parts of Pyms Lane and Sunnybank Road to the public. However, no decision has been taken on these proposals, which will form part of the consultation.

A public consultation began on January 3 and runs online until 5pm on February 14 and included two Bentley drop-in events last month.

Aerial image of Bentley Motors. (Image: Jonathan White)

Cllr Don Stockton, Cheshire East's cabinet member for regeneration, said: “We would really welcome the views of residents and businesses on the proposed future Bentley masterplan – and I would urge people to take the little time it takes to fill in the online form before the consultation deadline of 5pm on February 14.

“Bentley Motors is of tremendous importance to the local, regional and national economies and so we would really like to hear the opinions of local people and organisations.

“More than 4,000 people are employed directly by the company, which provides many apprenticeship opportunities locally. It is also Crewe’s largest single employer, accounting for more than £1billion of UK exports each year – so it is important we get this document right.”

Bentley says the campus would locate manufacturing, design, research and development, engineering operations and boosted security in a single integrated site with ‘seamless connectivity’ to enable ‘the efficient flow of people, goods and services’. The framework aims to set out the key design, development and planning policy considerations which will be used in the determination of potential future planning applications relating to the site.

With regard to the closure of parts of Pyms Lane and Sunnybank Road, the council says no decision has been taken on these proposals, which will form part of the consultation.

Any future change to road access would require submission of a planning application and be subject to the normal planning consent process.

The council’s household waste recycling centre at Pyms Lane is also within the long-term ambition for the campus. Cheshire East says there are no plans to close this centre and any future change to the facility would have to be consistent with the household waste and recycling requirements of Crewe and would require a future approval.

Most of the land identified within the campus ‘vision’ is owned by the council and any change would be subject to detailed future negotiations.

Once the public consultation ends, the development framework will be reviewed and potentially amended. This document will then go before cabinet in the spring for a decision on whether or not to endorse it.

To take part in the consultation – and view the draft development framework document and FAQs - click here.

You can also write c/o Bentley Masterplan, Cheshire East Council, Westfields, Middlewich Road, Sandbach, CW11 1HZ or complete a paper survey which is available from libraries and council offices and return it to the address above.